General Staff: Russian soldiers confiscate humanitarian aid in flooded Oleshky.

Russian troops are confiscating humanitarian aid intended for the flooded city of Oleshky in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, the spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andrii Kovalov, said on TV, as reported[1] by Ukrinform on June 20. "The situation on the left bank is catastrophic. The Russian occupiers are robbing the Ukrainian population in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine...For example, at the checkpoints at Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, when inspecting the vehicles, the occupiers confiscate humanitarian aid intended for the affected population," Kovalov said.

The city of Oleshky, occupied by Russia since February 2022, was likely completely flooded[2] during the Dnipro River flooding after the Kakhovka dam breach on June 6. Rather than evacuating the population, the occupiers have prevented the locals from leaving, allowing passage only to those with Russian passports. According to the National Resistance Center, over 500 Oleshky residents died[3] in the floods because they were not evacuated.

The United Nations (UN) agreed with Ukraine that it would provide humanitarian aid and facilitate evacuations from the occupied left bank. However, the UN informed[4] on June 18 that Russia continues to block access to the affected areas. Local volunteers continue to work[5] to provide food and drinking water to the people in the occupied settlements.

The Kakhovka dam breach collapse on June 6 triggered a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster, including massive floods in Ukraine's south. The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces destroyed the dam to hinder Kyiv's counteroffensive. In the past few days, the water has been receding[6] from the flooded areas.

'Unity is key.' Volunteers join forces to save flood-hit Kherson Oblast

While the world was gripped by the horrendous flood that hit Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast after Russian forces destroyed the massive Kakhovka dam over the Dnipro River on June 6, fearless volunteers and regular Ukrainians spent no time doubting they had to step up again. Many rushed directly t...

[7] Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press.

He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer.

Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

References

  1. ^ reported (www.ukrinform.ua)
  2. ^ flooded (kyivindependent.com)
  3. ^ died (sprotyv.mod.gov.ua)
  4. ^ informed (www.un.org)
  5. ^ work (suspilne.media)
  6. ^ receding (kyivindependent.com)
  7. ^ 'Unity is key.' Volunteers join forces to save flood-hit Kherson OblastWhile the world was gripped by the horrendous flood that hit Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast after Russian forces destroyed the massive Kakhovka dam over the Dnipro River on June 6, fearless volunteers and regular Ukrainians spent no time doubting they had to step up again.

    Many rushed directly t... (kyivindependent.com)

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